Linking ambidextrous leadership and small and medium scale enterprises export performance

Purpose: This article focuses on the mediating role of innovation orientation and moderating organisational trust (OT) relationship between ambidextrous leadership (AL) export performance (EP). The need to highlight drivers AL its influence EP necessitated this study. Design/methodology/approach: authors subjected sample data set from 420 respondents that engage in direct indirect activities inferential analysis using partial least square (SEM). Findings/results: study reveals mediates EP, as link was not significant organisation moderates relationship. Practical implications: Leaders’ ambidexterity should incorporate a clearly defined towards supports knowledge sharing guides for innovative support while also ensuring employees have high organisation. Originality/value: validates complexity theory adds literature relevance OT good predictors EP.